


Strays

by humanveil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships, Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:47:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8186437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanveil/pseuds/humanveil
Summary: Bucky finds a stray cat and brings her home.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ironbanner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironbanner/gifts).



> gifted to alex and his bucky with a cat hc.

The storm comes unexpectedly.

One minute it’s perfectly fine, and the next rain’s pelting down on him, soaking through his layers easily. He walks quicker once it starts, tightening his grip on the plastic bag he holds in one hand, and pulling his outer jacket up over his head with the other.

He’s only a few blocks from home when he sees it.

A pained _meow_ catches his ear, and he stops, head whipping to the side. It only takes him a few seconds to spot the small creature, its little body trying its best to hide from the heavy rain. It looks as if even the water will hurt it; its frame far too thin, its fur patchy where it shouldn’t be.

“Shit,” Bucky whispers, stepping towards it. He knows he should just leave it and head home – he isn’t even particularly fond of cats, for fuck sakes – but the grey fur of one of its paws catches his eye, and he knows he’s done for. It reminds him of himself, of the man he’d been after he’d escaped from Hydra’s hold, before he’d settled into his apartment.

He tries to be as unthreatening as he can when he leans down, human hand reaching out in an offer. The cat eyes him suspiciously, but Bucky waits, lets his fingers brush the fur above its head gently. Around them, the rain only gets heavier, and eventually the cat moves towards him, seeking protection.

“That’s a good girl,” Bucky murmurs, scooping her up with one hand. He keeps her under his jacket, huddled between his arm and torso. She rubs against him, and Bucky can only imagine the dirt she’s getting all over his clothes, but he leaves her be and starts walking again, almost jogging to get back to his building as fast as possible.

*

He puts her on his shoddy table once they get through his door, taking a moment to place his bag of groceries on the kitchen counter – only a day’s worth; he doesn’t let himself hope for more – and removes the backpack and drenched clothes from his body. He steps through the bathroom, grabbing one of the two towels he owns, and moves back to where the cat sits.

“Here we go,” he says, voice quiet as he brings the cloth to the cat’s body, rubbing it gently over her fur, trying to get her as dry as possible.

It brings back remnants of a memory; snippets of a day from his past life, all those years ago. He and Steve had found a stray – or, rather, a stray had found them. He remembers how Steve’s laugh had sounded when it had licked him, remembers his voice when he’d told it _just for tonight_ , and again when he’d relented to its pleading eyes the next day.

It’s similar to how the cat looks at him now.

He sighs, scratching behind her ears. There’s no point in pretending he won’t let her stay; not when she has big, round eyes looking at his direction. Not when he’s as lonely as he is.

“What if I call you James,” he asks, and smiles when she nuzzles his hand. “You like that, huh?”

A soft purr comes from her throat, and he lets out a breathy laugh; barely audible through the rain that continues to fall.

“James it is, then,” he whispers, picking her up and holding her against his chest. “Welcome home,” he says, looking around his small apartment, at the minimal items scattered throughout, the bleakness. “It’s not much, but it’s a lot better than the alternatives.”


End file.
